It is well known in vehicle luggage compartments to provide a lid which pivots between open and closed positions and is retained in the closed position by a latch which comes into engagement with the striker. The latch may be mounted on the lid and the striker on the body. Alternatively, the latch may be mounted on the body and the striker on the lid.
The latch typically includes a metallic housing having an entry recess for receiving the striker. A fork bolt is pivotally mounted on the housing for movement to engage and disengage the striker. The housing and the striker are each manufactured of metal so that noise will result upon engagement or vibration of the metal parts against one another. The prior art has recognized that a molded plastic collar may be riveted to the latch housing surrounding the entry recess and positioned at a predetermined distance from the striker to become engaged by the striker should some misalignment or relative shifting movement occur between the striker and the latch housing. Upon such misalignment on movement, the striker would engage with the plastic collar rather than with the metal of the latch housing to isolate the metal latch and metal striker from direct engagement of one another.
The present invention provides further improvements in the use of a plastic collar interposed between the latch housing and the striker.